很多人认为只有在安静的环境下才能睡好觉。其实，科学研究表明，有一点背景噪声的话，反而会让我们睡得更好。
Noise helps us sleep better
by Jenn Savedge
Want to get a better night's sleep? You may just need more noise. While that may sound counterintuitive（与直觉相反的）, it's scientifically proven that certain types of noise can help you catch some zzz's.
scientifically /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk(ə)li/ adv. 科学上（由scientific加后缀-ally变成副词）
zzz 指睡觉时的鼾声
Think of it this way: When you're lying in bed, every single noise – from the creak（嘎吱声） of the bed to a whistle in your partner's nose – may keep your brain on high alert. But some types of noise, specifically white, pink and Brown noises, can muffle and mask these sounds, creating a more consistent ambient（周围环境的） background.
single /ˈsɪŋɡ(ə)l/ adj. 单个的（这里表示强调）
whistle /ˈwɪs(ə)l/ n. 口哨声（这里指鼾声）
alert /əˈlɜːt/ n. 警惕
specifically /spəˈsɪfɪk(ə)li/ adv. 具体来说
muffle /ˈmʌf(ə)l/ v. 使（声音）变低、使听不清
mask /mɑːsk/ v. 遮盖
consistent /kənˈsɪst(ə)nt/ adj. 一致的
background /ˈbækɡraʊnd/ n. 背景声音
Just as white light includes all of the colors of light in the spectrum, white noise contains sounds from all of the frequencies that humans can hear. The sounds come together to sound like a fuzzy（模糊的） hiss（嘶嘶声） of static – like the snow on the TV back when televisions did that sort of thing.
spectrum /ˈspektrəm/ n. 光谱
frequency /ˈfriːkwənsi/ n. 频率
static /ˈstætɪk/ n. （电视、广播等）无信号时的噪音
It's an amalgamation（混合体） of sounds from all frequencies, but white noise comes across as a high-pitched buzz. That's because of the way your ears hear it. Basically, your brain amplifies（放大） sounds in the higher pitch frequencies, making them sound louder than they actually are. So while you may be hearing sounds from a variety of frequencies, the highest ones tend to drown out the lower pitched notes.
come across 表现、呈现
high-pitched 音调高的
buzz /bʌz/ n. 嗡嗡声
basically /ˈbeɪsɪk(ə)li/ adv. 基本上、大体上（由basic加后缀-ally变成副词）
pitch /pɪtʃ/ n. 音调
tend /tend/ v. 倾向于
drown /draʊn/ out 盖过（某个声音）
note /nəʊt/ n. 基本声音、声音元素
Pink noise takes the human tendency to hear only some frequencies into account and balances out the noise so that all frequencies are heard equally. The higher the frequency, the more its volume is dampened（减弱）. To your ears, the sound is deeper and softer than white noise. Think of rain falling on the pavement or a gentle breeze in the trees.
take something into account 考虑到某事物
tendency /ˈtendənsi/ n. 倾向（由tend加后缀-ency变成名词）
balance /ˈbæl(ə)ns/ v. 使平衡
equally /ˈiːkwəli/ adv. 相等地、同等地（由equal加后缀-ly变成副词）
volume /ˈvɒljuːm/ n. 音量
pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/ n. （铺好的）路面
breeze /briːz/ n. 微风、轻风
In a study at China's Peking University, researchers found that when participants were exposed to either pink noise or no noise during nighttime sleep and naps, 75% reported more restful sleep with the pink noise. Brain activity monitors confirmed this, showing that participants had 23% more restful brain activity at night with pink noise and 45% more restful sleep during naps.
researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究者（由research加上表示人的后缀-er）
participant /pɑːˈtɪsɪp(ə)nt/ n. 参与者
expose /ɪkˈspəʊz/ v. 暴露、直接接触
nighttime /ˈnaɪttaɪm/ n. 夜间（由night和time组成）
nap /næp/ n. 打盹
restful /ˈrestf(ə)l/ adj. 令人放松的
activity /ækˈtɪvəti/ n. 活动
monitor /ˈmɒnɪtə(r)/ n. 监测仪
confirm /kənˈfɜːm/ v. 证实
Brown noise takes this concept to the next level, further dampening noise at higher frequencies to produce an even deeper, richer sound. Think of a roaring waterfall or evenly（均匀地） crashing ocean waves. It's not named after the color brown but rather after the botanist（植物学家） Robert Brown, who in the 1800s discovered random particle motion, also called Brownian motion. Brown, or Brownian, noise is similar to random particle motion in that the changes in sound signals from one moment to the next occur randomly.
concept /ˈkɒnsept/ n. 概念
level /ˈlev(ə)l/ n. 水平、高度
rich /rɪtʃ/ adj. 丰富的
roar /rɔː(r)/ v. 大吼、轰鸣
waterfall /ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/ n. 瀑布
crash /kræʃ/ v. 撞击、拍打
random /ˈrændəm/ adj. 随机的
particle /ˈpɑːtɪk(ə)l/ n. 微粒
motion /ˈməʊʃ(ə)n/ n. 运动
signal /ˈsɪɡn(ə)l/ n. 信号
occur /əˈkɜː(r)/ v. 发生
randomly /ˈrændəmli/ adv. 随机地（由random加后缀-ly变成副词）
When it comes right down to it, the color of noise that will help you sleep most soundly is the one you like the best. While pink and Brown noises are deeper and more balanced than white noise, your personal sleep preferences will dictate which one gives you the best night's sleep.
when it comes right down to it 归根结底
soundly /ˈsaʊndli/ adv. 睡得沉地
preference /ˈpref(ə)r(ə)ns/ n. 偏好（由prefer加后缀-ence变成名词）
dictate /dɪkˈteɪt/ v. 决定、支配
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